The Wolcott P. Marsh family papers are comprised of 13 letters and two miscellaneous envelopes, dating from 1844-1876. Wolcott P. Marsh, a merchant and Civil War captain, wrote seven of the letters, beginning with a letter concerning travel between several mid-Atlantic cities, written on September 21, 1855. On August 10, 1863, Marsh wrote to a cousin from camp at Fredericksburg, Virginia, and described the geography and residents of Fredericksburg. The remainder of his letters shed light on such topics as his support of Lincoln and his business ventures.
Marsh’s relatives wrote an additional six letters, some of which relate the growth of Battle Creek, Michigan (August 17, 1844), and Brooklyn, New York (December 26, 1847: “This village grows larger than it did when you visited. You will be surprised to see many buildings.”), as well as family news and religious advice.
Wolcott Pascal Marsh was born March 15, 1839, in Brooklyn, New York. By 1860, he had moved to Hartford, Connecticut, and married Anna Thompson. For a short time, he worked selling knives. In April 1861, he enlisted in Rifle Company A, 1st Connecticut Infantry, was discharged after the First Battle of Bull Run, and was mustered into Company A, 8th Connecticut Infantry, as a second lieutenant. On December 24, 1861, Marsh was promoted to first lieutenant. Under Brigadier General Burnside in the North Carolina Expeditionary Corps, his unit fought at Roanoke Island, New Bern, and Fort Macon in the spring of 1862. Marsh was promoted to captain in December. After the Battle of Fredericksburg, Marsh received a medical discharge, probably for complications caused by malaria. By 1870, he had settled in Springfield, Massachusetts, with his wife and children and was working as a merchant.
